The Mona Lisa is one of the most observed and discussed portraits in the history of art. The figure, seated and constructed according to a rigorous structure, asserts itself with a stable and controlled presence, while behind her a landscape of great complexity unfolds.
In this research, the focus is not on the psychological interpretation of the face, but on the structure of the landscape. The background is not considered a simple backdrop, but rather a territory constructed according to verifiable relationships, articulated into levels of the construction of the landscape and referable to a real system.
The analysis proceeds by distinguishing multiple levels of the construction of the landscape: each level corresponds to a different regime of representation, based on a real reference point (point F) and on coherent geometric transformations. In this way it becomes possible to relate masses, profiles and directional lines of the painting to observable and measurable territorial elements.
Within this construction, the research also considers the presence of mirabilissime invenzioni: intentional forms integrated into the limbs of the painting, which introduce a further level of interpretation. In particular, the hypothesis of Leonardo’s self-portrait assumes relevance, developed in a specific section through formal and comparative criteria.
The following sections provide direct access to the two main components of the analysis: the real landscape (construction by levels) and Leonardo’s self-portrait in the Mona Lisa.
